When I got out to the field for test flights,
weather forecasters had missed their wind
prediction by a considerable margin. What I
expected to be fairly calm conditions had turned
into 15mph and gusty, ranging from straight
down the runway to directly crosswind—“normal
weather” in other words (this being Kansas).

Everything looked good, so I headed out to
the runway. As the Avanti S accelerated on
the takeoff run, it tracked straight, with little
need for correction except for bumps. As it
neared the end of the runway, I started feeding
in up-elevator, and after a moment, the plane
jumped up into the air. It climbed out with
authority and only needed a small amount of
up-elevator trim. Aileron turns were easy—no
rudder input necessary. I flew a couple of circuits
around the field and quickly became comfortable
with the plane. The first roll was crisp and
surprisingly quick, but it didn’t feel scary. A big,
whooshing loop put a smile on my face just
before the four-minute flight timer reminded me
it was time to set up for landing.

With the gear down and flaps fully extended
and coupled with about 5% down-elevator mix,
the Avanti S slowed down nicely, still feeling
solid. The landing approach was stable in spite
of the crosswind, but a too-early flare led to a
bumpy first landing. The well-sprung landing
gear absorbed the worst of it, fortunately, and
the neat breakaway nose cone prevented any
damage to the plane. I got in six flights that day,
and each one was a little more satisfying than
the previous one. My landing skills improved as
well as I learned to keep some power on until just
before the final flare.

GenerAl FlIGht PerFormAnce

Stability: Balanced within the recommended
range, the Avanti S is stable and inspires
confidence. It’s hard to get it to do anything
unexpected, and if it does, relaxing the control
sticks usually allows it to recover on its own.

Tracking: I hate to use all the clichés, but the
Avanti S really does track like it’s on rails—on
the ground and in the air. At high speed, it’s
smooth and predictable, and low-speed tracking
is just about as good. It goes where you point
it—reliably.

Aerobatics: Fun, fun, fun! This plane accelerates
quickly and sounds great doing it. It’s got
abundant power for big, impressive loops
and long vertical lines. At the recommended
throws, the ailerons are quick, and the roll rate
is impressive. I like to fly it balanced at the rear
of the recommended balance range—about

110mm—where inverted flight requires just a
touch of down-elevator correction. Fast knife-edge flight also requires just a little top rudder to
stay on line.

Glide and stall performance: I couldn’t make the
Avanti S exhibit any bad behavior at low speed.

When it stalled, it simply dropped its nose, and
adding a little power had it flying again. Power off,
with its sleek shape, it glides fairly well. Full flaps
make it a bit floaty, so keep a touch of power on
when landing.

PIlot DebrIeFInG

Did I mention that this is a fun model to fly? Ireally enjoy the big, whooshing jet sound whenthe Avanti S is flying through a big loop or doinga long slow roll down the center of the runway.

With its excellent stability, it has certainly made
me a believer in flying electric ducted fans, and I’d
recommend it to anyone as a first jet.

Freewing Model AvAnti S

Bottom LineFreewing’s Avanti S has turned out to be just the plane I was hoping for. It canbe assembled quickly, in an hour or so. It’s stable and handles wind very well.While it can be fast and aerobatic, it slows down nicely and lands easily. Thetrailing-link landing gear and large wheels handle rough grass runways with noproblem. At my field, the grass can be a little long, and it caused the nose-gearsuspension to compress a little as speed increased, bringing the nose down. Ifound that a little flap deflection and holding some up-elevator on the takeoffrun helped achieve a smooth liftoff. J

Above: With the
wings mounted,
the close-fitting
landing-gear doors
and other parts are
plain to see. There are
clear plastic viewports
over the ribbon wire
connectors, making it
easy to confirm good
connections.

Left: As seen on the fin
and rudder, all flying
surfaces have nylon
pinned hinges. The
metal-gear servos
are connected to
the surfaces with
sturdy brass ball-link
hardware.